Brief, thought provoking articles on a variety of topics.
Posted November 14th, 2009 in Selah, The Bible's Authority
This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley
The Bible isn’t such a complex document that it requires years of formal education before you can begin to comprehend it. I’ve always believed the Bible was meant to be understood by any believer who can read and has a serious interest in knowing what it says. I say this because I believe the Bible is best approached by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit rather than one’s own intellect. James 1:5 says that any of us who lacks wisdom need only ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault.
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Posted October 31st, 2009 in Selah, The Bible's Authority
Commentary by Jack Kelley
The other day I received an interesting response to my answer stating that the Bible supports an approximate 6000 year history for the human race. This person didn’t dispute the Bible, only our interpretation of it, in disagreeing with my answer.
The essence of his response was that since science has found what it considers to be persuasive evidence that contradicts the literal view of the creation account, then our traditional interpretation of the language in Genesis 1 has to be flawed.
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Posted October 3rd, 2009 in Selah, Tough Questions Answered
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
I received a great question this week. A regular visitor wanted to know, is evil a “thing” or the “absence of good”? The writer went on to say, “I understand how evil entered creation via the fall, but it seems to me that something (evil) that had never existed before suddenly came to be.”
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Posted September 26th, 2009 in Selah, Spiritual Life
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matt. 6:19-20)
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Posted September 18th, 2009 in Holidays and Holy Days
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
(At sunset on Sept. 18, 2009 Israel began year 5770 on the Hebrew Calendar. As I often do with articles that commemorate annual events, I have updated this study on the Fall Feasts and added new information for your review. As you can see, I’m also posting it a day early to coincide with the start of Rosh Hashanah.)
The fall is arguably the most important time of the year in Judaism. Three of Israel’s holiest days are celebrated then, and all in the space of 15 days. They are Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, followed 10 days later by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and 5 days after that the week long Feast of Tabernacles. On our calendar they usually fall (no pun intended) some time between mid September and early October due to the differences between the Jewish (lunar) calendar and the western (solar) one.
Each of these holy days has both historical and prophetic significance, the prophetic fulfillment to occur on the day itself. Therefore Christians study them for glimpses into the future as well as to gain a better understanding of Jewish culture. Read Post »
Posted September 5th, 2009 in Ikvot ha'Mashiach, Selah, Tough Questions Answered
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
There are two popular phrases people use in connection with the End Times to discourage speculation about just when the Rapture might take place. One is “like a thief in the night”, and the other is “no one knows the day or the hour”.
It’s been suggested from time to time that I’m sometimes “overly specific” in my teaching on the subject of End Times prophecy (even though I’ve never proposed either a day or an hour) so I’ve undertaken a study of these two phrases to see if I’m guilty as charged.
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Posted August 22nd, 2009 in Ikvot ha'Mashiach, Prophecy, Selah
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
This is an update of an article originally published in March 2004. While it’s based on the Bible, it also includes Jewish wedding traditions from Biblical times. Some of these traditions go all the way back to Abraham’s time and are described in Genesis 24.
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Posted August 8th, 2009 in Parables, Selah
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
Jesus was traveling through Jericho on His way to Jerusalem. It was early in the day on Palm Sunday. A rumor had sprung up among the crowds following Him that when He got there He was going to establish His Kingdom and defeat all their enemies. He told them this parable as a way of clarifying how things would happen.
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Posted July 18th, 2009 in Eternal Security, Forgiveness, Selah, Spiritual Life
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt. 7:13-14)
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Posted July 11th, 2009 in Children's Stories For Adults, Parables
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
On one occasion an expert in the Law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law,” Jesus replied, “How do you read it?” He answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind [Deut. 6:5] and love your neighbor as yourself [Lev 19:18].” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied, “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself and so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-29).
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